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MLL: Machine tries to shore up defense

Tonight’s game

Denver Outlaws at Ohio Machine

When: 8 tonight

Where: Selby Stadium, Delaware

Online: YouTube.com/MLL

Notable: Five of the Machine’s 14 games will air on SportsTime Ohio, beginning with a game at
Chesapeake on May 11. … Denver has never missed the playoffs in seven MLL seasons. The Outlaws lost
16-6 to Chesapeake in the championship game last season.

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The Ohio Machine will begin its second season of Major League Lacrosse tonight when it plays
host to the Denver Outlaws at Ohio Wesleyan’s Selby Stadium in Delaware.

The Machine allowed 204 goals, second-worst in the league, on the way to a 2-12, last-place
finish last season. But if there is strength in numbers, consider the Machine suitably buff. Ohio,
in a bid to beef up security around its cage, has dedicated nearly a fifth of its active roster to
goaltenders.

The Machine will begin the season with four goalies, including the returning tandem of Stefan
Schroder and Brian Phipps, rookie Tim McCormack and former Hamilton Nationals standout Scott
Rodgers.

Phipps is an assistant coach at Georgetown and will remain with the Hoyas for the Big East
tournament this weekend. Only Schroder, from Ohio State, and Rodgers will be in uniform tonight.
That trio ranked seventh, ninth and 10th, respectively, among the 10 MLL goalies who qualified for
the league’s goals-against average list last season.

Coach Ted Garber declined to name a starter earlier this week, but said both Schroder and
Rodgers had a solid preseason.

“Stefan really upped his game from last year,” Garber said. “Scott has a new outlook and a
passion to show everybody that he is a really good goalkeeper. I know he feels he didn’t have his
best showing last season.”

Schroder struggled with an often disjointed defense in front of him last season. He ended the
season with a 15.03 goals-against average in nine games. Rodgers ranked third among MLL goalies
with goals-against averages of 13.08 and 11.46 in 2010 and 2011, respectively, but finished last
season at 15.92 while splitting time with Hamilton.

McCormack had a 7.09 goals-against average and started every game for 15-1 Massachusetts last
season.

“We had a pretty tough competition all throughout training camp,” Schroder said. “But that fuels
the fire for all of us. Guys are pushing for spots. Adding depth, it improves our standing
altogether.”

Schroder or Rodgers (or both, if Garber elects to use two goalies) should be tested early.
Denver led the league in goals (216), went 11-3 in the regular season and advanced to the MLL
championship game. Outlaws attackman Brendan Mundorf was the league’s No. 2 scorer (59 points).

“They’ve got so many weapons out there that you can’t just focus on one or two guys and think
you’re going to win the game doing that,” Garber said.

The Machine had an opening-week bye. Denver, meanwhile, scored a league-high 20 goals in a 21-16
win over Charlotte.

“It’s going to be really important to make the saves we need to make and come up with the
unexpected ones at times,” Garber said.